Auction 70 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Responsa Meir Netivim - By Rabbi Meir Margolies, Disciple of the Baal Shem Tov - First Edition - Polonne, 1791-1792 - Two Parts
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Responsa Or Olam – Meir Netivim, two parts, halachic responsa, and pilpul on the weekly Torah portions, by R. Meir Margolies Rabbi of Lviv and Ostroh. Polonne, [1791-1792]. First edition.
Many approbations by great Chassidic leaders: R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, R. Asher Tzvi of Ostroh and his beit din, R. Yitzchak Yosef of Polonne, R. Zusha of Anipoli and R. Meir of Konstantin, son of the Yaavetz.
The author, R. Meir Margolies (ca. 1707?-1790), was a leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, and one of the first to cleave to him, even prior to the Baal Shem Tov becoming famous. R. Meir is considered a "colleague-disciple" of the Baal Shem Tov and mentions him in several places as "my teacher" and "my friend". In his book Sod Yachin UBoaz (Ostroh, 1794), he writes of "my teachers, prominent in Torah and Chassidism, headed by my friend the pious R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov… and from my youth, when I attached myself with bonds of love to my teacher and friend R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov… I knew with absolute certainty that his conduct was in holiness and purity, piety and ascetism… occult matters were revealed to him…".
R. Meir Margolies served as rabbi of Horodenka, Lviv (from 1754) and Ostroh (from 1777), and was a leading and prominent rabbi in his times. In 1776, he received an official nomination from the King of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, notifying the rabbis of those provinces of R. Meir's appointment by the royal court, retroactively from 1766, as Chief Rabbi of Ukraine (the rabbinical appointment, in gilt lettering, is preserved until this day in the Dubnow archives in New York). The Meir Netivim was a prolific author in both revealed and esoteric realms of the Torah, in Halacha and in homily. After his passing, his writings were arranged and published by his sons. The series of books was entitled Or Olam. This book, Meir Netivim in two parts, was the first book to be published. The book bears enthusiastic approbations by Chassidic leaders, including R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, R. Zusha of Anipoli and the Ohev Yisrael of Apta. The preface contains novellae by R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev on Tractate Pesachim. The last eight leaves of the book are comprised of novellae on Tractate Berachot by the brother of the author, R. Yitzchak Dov Ber Margolies, Rabbi of Yazlowitz, a close disciple of the Baal Shem Tov.
Various stamps and signatures. Early stamps: "Aharon Yosef Yuspa son of R. Moshe of Polonne". The heading of leaf 60 bears an early signature: "Yosef Aharon Kahana". A handwritten correction and a gloss appear on p. 21b.
[2], 3-30, 33-97 leaves; [1], 3-56 leaves (mispagination). 33 cm. Condition varies, most leaves in good to good-fair condition. Stains, wear and tears (with old paper repairs). Damage to first two leaves (repaired). Significant stains and worming to several leaves. New binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 313.
Many approbations by great Chassidic leaders: R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, R. Asher Tzvi of Ostroh and his beit din, R. Yitzchak Yosef of Polonne, R. Zusha of Anipoli and R. Meir of Konstantin, son of the Yaavetz.
The author, R. Meir Margolies (ca. 1707?-1790), was a leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, and one of the first to cleave to him, even prior to the Baal Shem Tov becoming famous. R. Meir is considered a "colleague-disciple" of the Baal Shem Tov and mentions him in several places as "my teacher" and "my friend". In his book Sod Yachin UBoaz (Ostroh, 1794), he writes of "my teachers, prominent in Torah and Chassidism, headed by my friend the pious R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov… and from my youth, when I attached myself with bonds of love to my teacher and friend R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov… I knew with absolute certainty that his conduct was in holiness and purity, piety and ascetism… occult matters were revealed to him…".
R. Meir Margolies served as rabbi of Horodenka, Lviv (from 1754) and Ostroh (from 1777), and was a leading and prominent rabbi in his times. In 1776, he received an official nomination from the King of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, notifying the rabbis of those provinces of R. Meir's appointment by the royal court, retroactively from 1766, as Chief Rabbi of Ukraine (the rabbinical appointment, in gilt lettering, is preserved until this day in the Dubnow archives in New York). The Meir Netivim was a prolific author in both revealed and esoteric realms of the Torah, in Halacha and in homily. After his passing, his writings were arranged and published by his sons. The series of books was entitled Or Olam. This book, Meir Netivim in two parts, was the first book to be published. The book bears enthusiastic approbations by Chassidic leaders, including R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, R. Zusha of Anipoli and the Ohev Yisrael of Apta. The preface contains novellae by R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev on Tractate Pesachim. The last eight leaves of the book are comprised of novellae on Tractate Berachot by the brother of the author, R. Yitzchak Dov Ber Margolies, Rabbi of Yazlowitz, a close disciple of the Baal Shem Tov.
Various stamps and signatures. Early stamps: "Aharon Yosef Yuspa son of R. Moshe of Polonne". The heading of leaf 60 bears an early signature: "Yosef Aharon Kahana". A handwritten correction and a gloss appear on p. 21b.
[2], 3-30, 33-97 leaves; [1], 3-56 leaves (mispagination). 33 cm. Condition varies, most leaves in good to good-fair condition. Stains, wear and tears (with old paper repairs). Damage to first two leaves (repaired). Significant stains and worming to several leaves. New binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 313.
Chassidic Books
Chassidic Books